When I teach, whether it is the first graders or graduate students, I pride myself in creating . . . in living the visions, theories, and values I profess. I decided to present my classroom activities as a Blog so that I could include "live" links to other sites as well as give the viewers an opportunity to respond, comment, and provide additional perspectives and resources.

For me, the effective classroom starts with building community. I received some grant monies to take these sixth graders on an overnight camping trip at the beginning of the year. The goal was for them to develop a sense of community. Here they are seen finishing up a team building called, Puzzling Tangram. This activity also addresses my goal of having students engage in cross-curricular activities. The giant sized tangram also asked the students to use basic geometry skills.

A Group Contract

In order for student learning to occur, a safe classroom environment needs to be established. One of the first tasks I have students complete is a group contract. See below for the directions for this task and the sidebar for some example products created by students.

The TaskTo create a contract which states those things which will help to make this a safe and learning supportive environment - an environment in which personal and needs are most likely to be achieved.The ProcedureList those behaviors and attitudes that will assist each individual and the other class members in having a positive experience. After the list is developed, create a visual representation or metaphor for the contract.

One way to do so is to integrate the arts into and across the curriculum. A 2006 study by the National Assembly of State Art Agencies (NASAA) found that students who participate in the arts improve their academic achievement, stay in school longer, participate in more hours of community service and report less boredom in schools. And a 2001 study at the University of Rochester revealed that children who participate in culturally based after-school programs experience an increase in self-esteem, relationship skills and leadership competencies—all necessary ingredients for social and academic achievement. See the full NASAA report below.

Cross Curricular Physical EducationI taught K-6 Physical Education for several years. I never had any goals and intention to do so. But seeing the diminishing of PE and recess, and the related skills that these activities inherently add to kids' lives, provided me with the motivation to get my PE endorsement. During my PE classes, I never wanted the kids to become great athletes or sports heroes. In fact, I rarely had them play competitive sports. My goals included having them learn the skills related to teamwork and good sportsmanship. I introduced lots of cross-curricular activities where I would use movement to teach language arts, math, and science. I watched in excited awe for two years as 450 K-6 graders per week participated and played with the joy that is unique to children!

Service LearningA guiding principle of my mission is:A Service-OrientationExpose and teach students about community service with its associated values and rewards.

As stated in my mission as an educator, I believe in the importance of students learning the intrinsic value and reward of community service. Even the youngest of students can participate in these projects. For example, this past year the Kindergarteners through 2nd graders decorated bowls for the local Empty Bowls Project